[OPINION] Rabbi Addresses Antisemitism: “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”

Shirah Sklar writes:

My roots in Westport run very deep. I am a graduate of Staples High School. My mother was a beloved teacher in the school system for 35 years. Presently, my family represents the only Jewish clergy who have children in Westport Public Schools.

I am the senior rabbi at Temple Shalom in Norwalk, which serves many Westport families, one of whom is the family of Andrew Goldberg and his 12-year-old son, whose ordeal facing antisemitic bullying in Westport is now national news.

As we all bear witness to a moment in time that Jews face unprecedented antisemitism in America, I am at once heartbroken and disappointed in what has happened in our beloved community, and the harm that our leadership’s handling of this situation has caused to an innocent child.

Incidents of antisemitic harassment and violence have increased 400% in this country since the beginning of October. It is time for our community to be proactive rather than reactive, and to begin to take seriously the issues of marginalization and discrimination against Jewish students.

There is a reason why many Jews feel isolated and alone. Our schools champion every initiative for inclusion and diversity, and leadership responds by appropriately saying there is no tolerance for antisemitism.

However, it is difficult to remain confident in these declarations when we examine the facts: A child was repeatedly ostracized, alienated and bullied by his peers with antisemitic epithets for months. The parents reported the repeated incidents and an investigation by the school corroborated these claims.

To be clear: These are not allegations as some in the media have presented. The findings are the result of an investigation performed by the principal of the school, which substantiates example after example of bullying and antisemitism.

Despite the conclusive results of an investigation, one member of the Board of Ed has already intimated, without having any real knowledge on the subject, that we don’t know the whole story. This response is deeply unsettling, reminiscent of the distressing and alienating zeitgeist in which many minimize the lived experience of victims of antisemitism.

Here is another fact: The legal team of the Board of Ed offered a settlement to the Goldberg family, a clear admission that the school system had run out of solutions to keep their child safe from harassment.

As a mother of three children in the Westport schools and as a rabbi, I am horrified that the settlement included terms that demanded a child would have to remain silent about this traumatizing and life-altering experience. In a culture where silence is bought and sold, these agreements only serve to protect the reputation and dysfunction of organizations. They do not take into account the well-being of the injured party-In this case, a 12-year-old boy.

We have now learned that the majority of school staff and students were completely unaware of this case and that it was never addressed among the school community, even as the Goldbergs saw no alternative but to enroll their child in a new school. We have also learned that until it became national news, The Board of Ed was also unaware of this case that had gone on for months with high level administrators, the school board’s legal counsel and the superintendent.

The response from the superintendent is equally disheartening because no formal communication has addressed the issue with the Goldberg family directly. I am deeply disheartened at attempts to distract the public and hide this case from view, rather than prioritize the needs of a child who was mistreated and repair that harm.

The superintendent has talked about the necessity of combatting antisemitism in general, as if to protect Westport from future incidents. This is empty political posturing if it does not include addressing this incident specifically and making substantive steps to repair the damage that has already been done. And so I ask our town’s leadership, how will restitution be made to the Goldberg family?

Jewish tradition teaches a concept of repair called “Teshuvah” that is fundamental to correcting our path when we have gone astray.  It includes an honest and transparent accounting of our actions, apologizing directly and holding ourselves accountable to restore justice to those we have harmed and making an earnest and sincere effort to correct the path, to have a plan going forward. The Goldberg family deserves nothing less from the Town of Westport and the Westport Public Schools. Actions speak louder than words.

If we really want to be the kind of town that promotes tolerance and diversity, that welcomes and supports students and families of all races, religions, orientations and ethnicities, we all have work to do.  We can’t just say it is so, we have to make it so.